We thought we’d never say it, but it looks like the DC Extended Universe, excuse us, Worlds of DC, just won Comic-Con 2018! Granted, there’s still another full day of convention goodness, but unless Sunday brings a slew of surprises, it’s looking like DC easily had the best showing of any major studio, and did it all without its two biggest heroes: Batman and Superman. While Wonder Woman and Shazam both put in impressive efforts, Aquaman walked away as M.V.P. thanks to a totally epic trailer that left us gasping for air. On today’s Nerdist News, we run down our seven favorite moments in the new footage.
Aquaman is directed by James Wan and stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Orm, and Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanta. Here’s the new trailer:
1. CREATURES GALORE!
The trailer makes Aquaman look like equal parts superhero film and monster movie. From rideable alligators to killer crustaceans to sharks with laser beams on their heads, Arthur Curry’s home world of Atlantis looks jam-packed with neon aquatic life. We can’t wait to see what else the movie has in store.
2. THE UNDERWATER ACTION
Before the trailer, it was unclear how the underwater scenes would look onscreen. Could director James Wan make deep-sea action scenes look believable and visually appealing? By the looks of things, he nailed the effect. Atlantis looks eye-popping and bright, with a color palette totally unique in superhero films.
3. EXCITING VILLAINS
Patrick Wilson looks excellent as Orm the Ocean Master, the half-brother of Aquaman who declares war on the surface world. He looks appropriately villainous with his slicked-back blond hair and impressive trident, but we’ve gotta admit, the villain we’re really stoked for is Black Manta. If you were able to attend SDCC, you got to see the Black Manta costume up close, and it’s pretty stunning.
This might be the coolest thing I’ve seen yet: my boy Black Manta, y’all! pic.twitter.com/zEcgMWTFzB
— Brian Truitt (@briantruitt) July 19, 2018
4. THE TRENCH
Our favorite shot from the trailer has to be the one of Aquaman descending into an army of razor-toothed fish men. This is taken directly from a story called “The Trench,” which is considered by many to be one of the greatest Aquaman arcs of all time. In “The Trench,” Aquaman discovers a a race of sea creatures who have been shut off from the rest of the ocean and have evolved into cannibals to survive. It’s a dark, twisted storyline, and we can’t wait to see it translated to screen.
5. THE HUMOR
We can’t say enough how great it is to see the humor so well-utilized in this trailer. Even though it’s action-heavy and epic in scale, and gets into some deep character stuff, Aquaman still looks like a ton of fun. The humor is a grand departure from other DCEU films like Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad.
6. JASON MOMOA
A lot of that fun comes from Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa, who is having a ton of fun not just in the trailer but at the Con itself. The Game of Thrones alum is perfect for the role, playing up Arthur Curry’s human and superhero sides to great effect.
7. MERA
Amber Heard as Mera #Aquaman pic.twitter.com/agMZhuG1Cw
— femme fatale (@eliesaaab) July 22, 2018
And then there’s Mera, who has been getting some negative buzz on Twitter thanks to her obviously fake, ultra-bright red wig. That all seems a little unfair–this is a superhero villain with laser-head sharks, after all–and we love the Little Mermaid vibes she’s giving off. She seems like a great companion to Aquaman, and we’re excited to see how their dynamic plays out on the big screen.
Those are our favorite moments in the Aquaman trailer, but what about you? Let’s discuss in the comments below!
Image: Warner Bros.
